The Bloodflye Stone
by brandinm05
Summary: The War has long ended, and yet there are still those who wish to see the Dark Lord come to power. D/H. EWE.     "Next time," the voice warned darkly, "it will be your pretty little mudblood head!"
1. Sighs

**A/N: Firstly and most importantly, I want to thank my beta, **_**Endlesslywaiting, **_**who has, I might add, been endlessly waiting for me to write, edit, re-write, and actually post this darn story. It's been a tough year for me- moving, new job, new place, new roommates, etc etc. Yet, this story (started in September 2010) has helped me through. **

**Now without further adieu, I give you the first chapter of "**_**The Bloodflye Stone".**_

_Chapter 1- Sighs_

She slipped the peach silk nightgown over her body and sighed. Hermione Granger was quite bored with her usual evening routine. First shower, then slip on nightgown, climb into bed and sleep. She sighed again, then plopped onto her bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. Granted, the room was rather toasty, she knew she'd be frozen by morning. Sleeping alone always left her cold. Crookshanks leapt up and nestled into his usual spot beside her and she began to pet his head— almost immediately he began to purr.

"Well, at least you're enjoying life," she mumbled to her cat. With one final pat, she snuggled down and closed her eyes, ready for the Sandman to do his job.

Unfortunately, the Sandman did not come, for just as she closed her eyes, she heard a peck at her window. Crookshanks hissed at the offending sound but didn't move an inch.

Hermione pushed back the covers with a huff and walked towards the window. There sat a brown barn owl, with a letter in his beak. "Who could that be?" she wondered idly.

She took the note from the bird's mouth and slipped him a treat. He nipped her finger gently and then took flight. Hermione closed the window and opened the note. Scrawled inside was a quick note.

_Granger,_

_Sorry about the timing, but he's here again and causing a raucous. Come get him, eh? _

_Gordan_

Hermione sighed. Gordan was the owner of one of the tavern's _he_ typically frequented. Bustling around her apartment, she quickly pulled on leggings, thick socks, and a hooded sweatshirt. She then wrapped a wool scarf around her neck and pulled a baker-boy cap onto her head. Bending down, she pulled on her warm furry boots. Lastly, she buttoned her coat and tucked her wand safely inside her pocket. She opened her door and immediately shivered as the London winter air bit into her.

"I'm going to kill that bloody wanker," she mumbled to herself. Keeping her head tucked down to avoid the wind, Hermione walked down the street. When she arrived at the corner, she gave a quick look around and pulled out her wand, apparating with a pop.

With a blink of her brown eyes, Hermione was standing outside the pub—in a slushy puddle. She growled to herself, already in a foul mood because of him. Now, her feet were wet and cold. Moving to a drier spot on the sidewalk, she quickly muttered a cleaning spell.

Hermione peered in the window, her warm breath fogging the glass up slightly. Her eyes searched for the platinum blonde hair, the expensive black coat, even a sliver of emerald green. Finally, her eyes found exactly what she was looking for—only not.

At the end of the bar, barely able to keep his head up, sat Draco Malfoy. He was doing his best to woo a little brunette. She was pretty enough, she supposed, with straight brown hair, green eyes, and what looked like quite expensive robes. Hermione cringed inwardly when his fingers reached out to graze her jaw line. The rage began to boil when she saw his face dip towards the girls, as though they were going to kiss. Her eyes bulged a bit however when his head continued to fall deeper and deeper, until it seemed, he had passed out- in the poor girls cleavage.

The girl immediately began to scream and Hermione watched as Gordon walked around the bar and pulled Draco off of her and yanked him towards the door. Swinging the door open, she heard Gordon mutter something along lines of, "Don't come back until you've learned to handle your liquor." And before she knew it, Gordon had tossed Draco out onto the dirty, wet streets of London.

Draco went down, rather unceremoniously, into a large puddle. Lifting his head up, he saw someone's boots, then grey leggings, then a bright red coat. He knew that red coat. Hell, he knew those boots.

"Granger", he drawled. "What the fuck are youuu doing 'er?" He continued to lay in the puddle, his expensive black coat soaking up the dirty water.

She growled, "Oh for Merlin's sake, get the hell out of the puddle!"

Slowly, Draco began to stand up, swaying to one side and then the other. He grabbed a hold of her shoulder to steady himself, only to fall rather easily into her chest. He smiled to himself, inhaling her scent. She smelled like oranges and sunshine- if that was even possible.

Hermione wrestled him up, standing him up on his feet. She casted another cleaning spell and he found he was quite dry and clean.

"Sthanks," he slurred, his head dipping down low then coming back up.

"Don't mention it." She replied. "Come on, let's get you home."

He wrapped his arm around her waist and again, was reminded of how terribly perfect she was. With a pop, they apparated back to the corner of her flat.

With his arm still around her waist, she slowly walked him to the door of her flat. His feet shuffled and he mumbled as he walked, not quite coherent. His mumbling however became coherent when he started to shout.

"Why didn't we just apparate to _my_ flat?" He exclaimed, his sudden mood swing making Hermione's head spin.

Struggling with his weight, she pulled him closer. "Because you fool, I don't know what types of wards you have and you're not in a right state to help me."

He grumbled, "I'm cold." As if to further his point, he shivered and pulled her closer, "Why didn't we just apparate _into_ your flat."

She smiled slightly, annoyed that his whining was somehow adding to the attraction. "Because you fool, I do know _my_ wards. And they don't allow anyone to apparate into my home."

He stopped in his tracks and whipped his head to her. "Whaaa?" he slurred, his brow furrowed.

Hermione giggled and tapped him on the nose, "safety first!"

Draco shook his head but let her lead him to her flat all the same. When they arrived at her red door, Draco took a deep breath. It'd been a very long time since he'd been on this door step. A long time since he'd felt her warm body pressed against him. He pulled her tighter, inhaling her scent once more, but loosened his hold when he felt her stiffen.

"Sorry," he grunted.

"S'okay," she answered, pulling out her key and opening the door. They stumbled inside and she moved to take his coat.

"Easy there Granger, there's noooo need to get meeee naked so quickly," Draco told her, with a smug drunken smirk on his lips.

She huffed and pulled his coat from his arms. "Don't be thick. You know where the bathroom is if you need it. There's a blanket on the back of the couch. Goodnight Draco."

Hermione spun around, ready to make her escape when his arm caught hers.

"Wait."

Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath before turning around to face him. "What?"

Draco took a small step forward, closing the gap between them. His hands grazed up her arms, squeezing her small biceps, then resting at her neck. His breathing was deep, as was her's. Draco's eyelids were heavy, as if he could barely keep his eyes open.

When Draco didn't say anything, Hermione's hands reached up to his and removed them from her neck.

"Go to sleep Draco. You'll feel better in the morning." She gave his hand a squeeze and turned, walking to her bedroom. Closing the door behind her, she slid down the wood panel into a heap on the floor, hugging herself. Casting a silencing charm, so that he wouldn't hear her, she began to cry.

When the door slammed closed, Draco knew he'd fucked up. He growled to himself and haphazardly made his way to her bathroom. Closing the door behind him, he made his way to the toilet. After completing his business, he shuffled to the sink. He washed his hands and then splashed some water on his face. He grabbed the hand towel, patting his face dry and then immediately regretting his decision to look in the mirror.

Draco Malfoy was indeed, quite handsome. With platinum blonde hair, eyes the colour of silver and a jaw line that would make most models jealous, he knew he could have almost any woman of his choosing. Unfortunately for him, Draco also knew that the woman he wanted would never have him. It was his own damn fault, really. If he had never gone to that blasted wedding, he'd never have seen her. He'd never have fallen in love. He'd never have broken her heart— which in turn, had broken his.

He tossed the hand towel in the hamper and struggled to make his way back to the couch. When he passed her door, he couldn't hear anything. His first thought was that she was asleep. His second was that she cast a silencing charm. He plopped down on the couch and sighed. Yanking his shirt over his head and casting it off to the side, he allowed himself a moment to think aloud.

"If she hated me, she wouldn't have come to pick me up, right?" Pausing, he came up with his own answer. "Yes, she would have. It's Granger. But does it mean anything? Ugh, bloody hell." Annoyed at having a conversation with himself, he slapped the pillow on the couch. "I should just go talk to her."

With a curt nod to no one but himself, he lifted himself off the couch and staggered to her door, sobriety not having fully kicked in yet. He knocked on the door and prayed she could hear him.

"Granger," he banged on the door. "Granger. We need to talk!"

Hermione wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffled. She'd released the silencing charm when he was in the bathroom, thinking that he'd just go straight to sleep. Yet, he hadn't and she had heard his entire conversation—with himself.

"Go away Draco. I don't want to talk," she yelled through the door.

Draco growled at her behaviour, "Stop being a child and answer the fucking door."

Hermione thought for a moment before standing up from her spot on the floor. She cracked the door open, "You have sixty seconds. Better make it good." Her eyes drifted down to his naked chest and immediately a blush graced her cheeks.

Draco's eyes narrowed, "Come now Granger. Can't we be adults about this, please?"

Hermione guffawed, "Adults? Are you kidding me? Fuck you." She went to slam the door in his face, but Draco had slipped his foot in-between the door and the frame.

His face lit up with pain and Draco yelped, "Fuck!" He reached down to grab his foot.

Immediately, Hermione opened the door wide and went to his aide. "Oh Draco, I'm so sorry!"

Hopping around on one foot, Draco made his way into her room and sat on her bed heavily. "Urg! Merlin that hurts!"

Her eyes were wide, "Did I break it?"

Slowly, Draco flexed his foot and replied angrily, "I don't think so. But it's gonna bruise. Thanks Granger."

Hermione narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms at her chest. "Don't mention it. Now, get out of my room."

Again, Draco found himself sighing. _Why wouldn't she just listen to me, _he thought to himself. Slowly and painfully, he stood up. "I just wanted to…" He trailed off pathetically.

Huffing, Hermione prodded him, "You just wanted to what?"

Draco shook his head, "Nothing. Never mind. I'm going to bed." Walking towards the door, he turned around one last time and saw she had her back to him.

"Whatever," Hermione grumbled to herself. She pulled the leggings down her legs and yanked the sweatshirt from her torso, leaving herself in the peach nightgown again.

Draco's eyes bulged wide. He knew that nightgown, very well in fact, for he had bought it for her.

"Glad you're still receiving enjoyment from the gifts I bought you," he jibed.

Hermione whipped around, unaware that he was still in her room. Angry and embarrassed, she screamed, "I told you to get the fuck out of my room. Now, _get out!_" She pushed him, full force, out of the doorway of her room. He landed, quite gracefully, on the couch.

With that, she slammed the door shut and locked it. She picked up the closest thing she could find and hurled it at the wall. The vase of flowers shattered into a million pieces. Breathing heavily and realizing what she just did, she growled in frustration. "Why do I let him get under my skin?" she thought angrily to herself.

She pointed her wand at the vase, "Reparo".

She put the flowers in the vase and set it back on the dresser. Feeling slightly better, she climbed into her bed and looked at the clock. Three am. She closed her heavy, tired eyes and began to sleep.

Draco was however, pacing in her living room. Angry and upset, he knew he wouldn't sleep for a while. He contemplated going home, but didn't want to brave the cold again. Thinking of the cold made him shiver and he picked up his wand. He walked closer to the fireplace and pointed at it.

"Incendio," he muttered.

The logs were ablaze immediately and warmth began to fill the room. He rested his arm on the mantle and began to look around. Moving pictures surrounded him. There was a picture of the Golden Trio, smiling happily at the camera. Another picture was of her and the Weasels, Hermione's smile was the happiest of them all. Draco knew that the Weasley's were family to her, and with time, he'd had even come to accept it. The next photo was of Hermione and Potter with a baby. The baby's hair was rapidly changing colours from green to purple to pink to blue. Draco knew the baby was Teddy, Hermione's godson. Next was a photo of a red head in a white dress and a handsome Slytherin boy that Draco knew quite well.

When Blaise Zabini told Draco that he was going to marry Ginny Weasley, Draco was lost in a fit of hysterics. But Blaise was quite serious about his statement and one year later, he married the little Weasel. It was their wedding that started it all, but despite everything, Draco was truly happy for them.

The last photo didn't move. There stood Hermione, in between two very proud and happy people. The photo was taken on the beach- in Australia if Draco remembered correctly. He knew that she had altered her parent's memories so that they would forget her and keep them out of danger. After the war, she had gone to Australia and replaced their memories. She stayed for a while, wanting to escape from the media and relax. Honestly, Draco thought the holiday had done her some good. Her skin had a healthy glow and it was dotted with freckles. Her eyes were brighter and she smiled more, even laughed. And her laugh was heavenly to Draco.

Draco rested his head on his arm and sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that night. He wondered if Hermione knew the reason why Draco drank. He wondered if Hermione knew or even cared to know the real reason why he left her in the first place. But more importantly, he wondered if she would ever forgive him. Quietly, he padded to the couch and sprawled out on it, pulling the blanket from the back of the couch onto him. The fire had died down, giving a soft glow in the small room. With one last sigh, he passed out.

**A/N: Thank you for reading. I'd appreciate it greatly if you left me a comment/ review. Tell me what you think so far. I have chapters 1-5 already completed, so I'll update regularly. **


	2. Fighting Normalcy

**A/N: All these story alerts but no reviews? I'm saddened. Thou doth believe you not liketh what I create. Please- convince me otherwise! Read and review!**

Chapter Two- Fighting Normalcy

Draco awoke with a start. He took in his surroundings and immediately relaxed. He was somewhere familiar. Somewhere comfortable. Listening harder, he heard the shower in the bathroom and knew she wouldn't be long. She never was.

Almost as soon as he thought it, he heard the tap turn off. Moments later, he heard a door open, feet shuffle across the floor and another door close. Slowly, he swung his legs over the side of the couch and went to stand up- immediately falling over. He sat up, his elbows on his knees and his face resting in his hands. Draco's head was pounding.

"Here." Hermione said appearing beside him, holding a vial of purple substance. "It's a pepper-up potion."

Draco's eyes moved from the potion to her. She looked smart in a brown skirt that was a tad too tight, an emerald green blouse that revealed too much cleavage and brown pumps. Fuck her if she didn't know she was driving him crazy already.

He took the potion from her fingers and issued a curt, "thanks".

She made her way to the kitchen and started brewing her morning coffee. Her heels clicked across the linoleum as she moved from cupboard to refrigerator to counter. Draco leaned against the door frame and watched as she moved around her kitchen. He noticed that she had slight bags under her eyes and they were slightly swollen and he knew he was to blame. He also knew it was her fault she wasn't all that bubbly this morning. Hermione Granger was what most people would call a "morning person", but today she was the furthest thing from it. Her feet dragged a bit as she walked and he stifled a laugh when she yawned so big, he could see her wisdom teeth. She popped a bagel in her toaster and hit the button. Immediately, the room was filled with a mixture of cinnamon and coffee. He missed that smell. Out of pure habit, he shuffled over to her and put his arms around her, inhaling her scent.

"I miss you," he admitted.

She sighed and gently removed his arms from her, "I know".

Hermione grabbed two coffee mugs and poured them each a cup. She added sugar and cream to hers and stirred it, and then handed Draco his black coffee. He bit back a smile, realizing how easily she fell back into their natural routine. Immediately he grimaced at the thought of them together and how they were. How absolutely perfect things were. Until he fucked things up.

Leaning back against the counter, he sipped his black coffee just as she sipped hers. She jumped when her toaster popped, as she always did. Draco watched as she put cream cheese on the bagel and nibbled at it, just as she always did. The silence was deafening.

Draco set his coffee mug down and added the potion to it. He grabbed a spoon from the drawer and stirred it slowly, the spoon clinking against the mug as it went. Hermione counted- 3 stirs to the left, 1 stir to the right- just as he always stirred anything. Hermione watched as he first blew on his coffee then took a small sip, then a larger one. Just like he always did. She laughed slightly when he took his usual spot on the counter, wearing nothing but his jeans. Her eyes raked over his pale chest and she realized how much she missed him. It was all too easy to fall back into normalcy with him. She frowned at the thought of things being normal with him. She chugged the rest of her coffee and put her bagel in a sandwich bag to take to work with her.

Draco slid down from his spot on the counter and stood in front of her, blocking Hermione's only exit.

"I have to go to work."

He looked at the clock hanging above the sink, "you have fifteen more minutes."

Avoiding eye contact, she stared at the floor and shook her head, "No, I told Kingsley that I'd be there early this morning."

Draco sighed, "No you didn't. You just want to escape."

Hermione continued to stare at the floor and ignored his comment. She folded her arms across her chest as she often did in uncomfortable situations. Biting her lip, she dared to look at his face. She immediately regretted her decision.

His eyes were soft, full of regret and pain. His lips quivered slightly as he spoke and he looked completely defeated with his arms hanging at his sides. "I'm sorry, Hermione".

Slowly, he reached his hand up to cup her cheek, as he often used to. He swept the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip. He inched ever closer to her, his other hand coming up to rest on her other cheek. Slowly, his head dipped down.

Hermione was fighting with herself. She couldn't quite understand how she had gotten herself into this position. How she had allowed him to place his hands so intimately on her. How she had allowed him to move ever closer to her. How she was currently allowing him to attempt to kiss her.

"No," she said shakily.

When Draco didn't listen and continued his pursuit of her lips, she pressed her palm against his chest and pushed him away.

Hermione began shaking her head, "No Draco. I can't do this." Quickly gathering her things, she left her apartment for work, leaving Draco behind to ponder what had just happened.

And ponder he did. Draco leaned against her counter, thoroughly confused. He could see it in her eyes how much she had wanted to kiss him. Draco could see how happy she was with him just being in the bloody kitchen with her. He growled and slammed his hand on the counter.

Crookshanks, who had entered the room a bit earlier to eat, hissed at him.

Draco narrowed his eyes at the cat, "Don't give me that look. You know I love her."

As though admitting that Draco was right, the fur ball sidled over to him and began to rub against his legs, purring. Draco reached down and picked him up, "I knew you always liked me, you flea bag."

Crookshanks wriggled his nose and squirmed out of Draco's arms, flopping onto the counter. He jutted across the counters and stove and leapt onto a bookshelf in the dining room, knocking over several of the books on his way.

Draco grumbled as he made his way to the dining room to pick up the books. "Stupid cat," he muttered, placing the books back on the shelf. He was about to turn around when something caught his eye. A glint of silver, poking out from behind a few of Hermione's books. Curious, Draco moved the books to reveal a photo in a silver picture frame. A still photo. A photo that he had not realized had existed.

Sitting beside a Christmas tree, Hermione sat, unwrapping a gift with a huge smile on her face. Draco was sitting behind her, his legs on either side of her. She was leaning against his chest. He looked so happy. It was hard to believe this was just a year ago. A year had come and gone- and yet so much had happened.

He tore the back from the picture frame and pulled the photo out. There was an inscription.

_Hermione,_

_Snapped this when neither of you was looking. Thought it was just darling. Merry Christmas, my sweet daughter. _

_Always love him courageously and without borders._

_Love, _

_Mom_

In the corner was the date. _December, 2001. _

Taking the photo, Draco walked over to his coat. He tucked the photo in the breast pocket of his pea coat and checked his side pocket for his wand. He pulled his shirt back on and yanked on his coat. Giving Crookshanks a pat on the head, Draco left the apartment behind him with a new, yet old reason to live. That reason was to make Hermione Granger fall in love with him again- courageously and without borders.

Hermione had apparated to her job at the Ministry Library. After Voldemort was killed in the war, things were slowly returning to normal. Hermione was able to take her NEWTS and because of that, was able to get a ministry job. Of course, Kingsley would have given it to her anyway.

Hermione made her way through the stacks of books and found herself at her office door. There, printed in gold, was her name. _Hermione Granger- Curator of Dark Artifacts. _Hermione was quite proud of her position and the impact it had on the Ministry. Most had expected her to become an Auror and she had considered it, quite thoroughly. But she knew with her love of research and books, that through this position, she would find excitement and awe.

Giving a small smile, Hermione opened her office door and moved to her mahogany desk. Taking her place at her matching mahogany chair, she began to sift through her mail. There was a short letter from Harry and another from Ginny. She opened the letter from Harry first, knowing it would probably relate to work. But instead his words spiked her curiosity.

_Hermione,_

_I have good news and bad. Bad news first- can't come to Christmas dinner. Good news- I'm getting married! You're going to love her! Please say you'll meet us at today at the Leaky Cauldron for a bite at noon! Can't wait to see you! It's been too long!_

_Love,_

_Harry_

Hermione was flooded with various forms of emotions- excitement, surprise and even a little sadness. She opened her letter from Ginny next and grimaced at Ginny's berating words.

_To my long lost best friend,_

_Where the hell are you? You don't write, you don't owl and you never visit. Have I done something to offend you? Or are you seriously just too busy with work? _

_Floo me… Owl me. Whatever, I don't care. I just want to talk to my best friend!_

_Ps- Harry's getting married!_

_Ginny Zabini_

Truthfully, if Ginny had done something wrong, Hermione would have confronted her about it. But Ginny hadn't done anything wrong. Ginny was just Ginny- her best friend, whom she had been ignoring for as long as possible. Hermione checked her calendar and saw she had Friday afternoon off. Hermione immediately began jotting down a response.

_Ginny,_

_So sorry for not keeping in touch! Kingsley's been on me lately about work. I just received an owl from Harry and I'll be meeting him and his fiancée this afternoon for lunch. To be honest, I'm a bit nervous! _

_Let's get together on Friday afternoon! I took a half day. I'll floo you!_

_XOXO_

_Hermione_

Pulling out yet another sheet of stationary, she began a short missive to Harry.

_Harry,_

_I can't wait to meet her! See you at noon!_

_Xoxo_

_Hermione_

She picked up her letters and gave them to her assistant, Susan, to send. Returning to her desk, she found a memo from Kingsley asking to meet her at nine thirty this morning to discuss the discovery of yet another dark artifact. Hermione gave a quick glance to her clock and saw it was 9:20.

_Shoot. _She immediately scooped up her notes and books from previous research and ran to the lift. She punched in the floor number and with a jerk, was moving even further underground. Surrounding her were various wizards and memos flying around her head. Personally, Hermione thought the flying memos was a terrible idea- the pesky little things always seemed to try and nest in her hair. She swatted one away from her head and moved to the front of the lift. When the doors opened, she stepped out and made her way to Kingsley's office.

Kingsley was an honourable Minister. He held the ministry accountable- just as the prior ministers should have. Kingsley liked Hermione Granger- she was trustworthy and dedicated and willing to give life and limb for her country. Because of this, he had called her to his office to discuss something of high confidentiality.

Hermione knocked on his door and heard Kingsley boast a loud, "Come in!" She opened the door and addressed him.

"Good morning Minister." She gave him a polite smile and waited for him to seat her.

"Miss Granger!" He exclaimed, his deep voice resonating throughout the room. "Please, come in! Sit, my dear."

Hermione took her seat in front of his desk and looked around his office as she often did. It seemed every time she entered, there was something new. This time, it was a new photograph hanging on the wall. In it was Kingsley himself, along with Mad-Eye Moody, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks and Harry Potter.

Kingsley noticed her staring at the photo, "It was taken before the three of you left to search for the Horcruxes. I've been meaning to get it framed for ages and finally found the time."

Hermione smiled gently, "I miss them. Remus and Tonks would have been so proud of Teddy."

Shaking his head, Kingsley agreed, "Smart kid, that one. Top of his class at Hogwarts and a fair seeker to boot".

She nodded her head in agreement, for she already knew this. "Keeping track of him, are you?"

Kingsley laughed, "Of course! He's going to be an Auror one day, just like his Godfather!"

Chuckling, Hermione responded, "You think? I figured he'd go on to play Quidditch for the rest of his life!"

"No, that boy is meant for greater things. He'll do a lot of good here at the Ministry." Kingsley declared.

Her heart was feeling lighter as Hermione pressed Kingsley onto the subject of work, "What did you want to discuss with me?"

His smile lessened and Kingsley took on his "minister" tone. "Just a moment." He stood up and moved to the door, performing a locking spell, as well as a silencing spell. He also cast several more spells in the room as further protection.

Hermione shifted in her seat, feeling a little uncomfortable. She crossed and uncrossed her legs, waiting for Kingsley to take his seat.

"You've been working on Dark Artifacts for quite some time," he acknowledged as he sat back down at his desk.

Hermione nodded her head, "yes."

Kingsley leaned forward and clasped his hands in front of him on his desk. "I trust you, Hermione. You're one of the best employees I have and I know the lengths you'll go for your country."

Furrowing her eyebrows, "Yes… Kingsley, what is this about?" Her voice was a tad shaky, afraid of what he might say, but curious none the less.

"There's been talk- not here, but in other parts of the world- of an uprising." Kingsley's voice was low, almost a whisper.

Hermione leaned in further, "An uprising? Of whom?"

"Death Eaters."

**A/N: Ooohoo, it's a bit of a cliffy! Hang on tight kids, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.**

**Mad props to my beta, _Endlesslywaiting_. She's fantastic. And British. Which in turn, allows me to be more British (since I'm a yank and all)- YAY! Again, please review. Lemme know what ya'll think! **

**xoxo**


	3. Death Eaters and Old Friends

**A/N: J.K. Rowling owns all.**

Hermione stared at the Minister of Magic, her mouth gaping open. "I'm sorry. Did you say _Death Eaters_?"

Kingsley took a deep breath and exhaled loudly, "I'm afraid so. It seems, despite all we've done here to reform various Death Eaters of their beliefs, there are some that just refuse to back down."

Running her hand through her hair, Hermione refused to believe what she heard, "No. But it can't be possible. Voldemort is dead."

"He is, yes. But that doesn't seem to stop his followers from continuing on with his beliefs," Kingsley continued. "Death Eaters who still believe in the purification of the Wizarding world."

"Where? How many are dead?" Hermione asked, preparing herself for the worst.

Kingsley stood up and walked to the other side of his desk and sat on an empty corner. "The uprising seems to be centralized in Romania, but it's spreading."

Hermione's eyes searched his, still wanting an answer. "How many, Kingsley?"

Kingsley sighed, "The total is up to twenty five. Fifteen were muggle born, ten were innocent bystanders."

"Does Harry know?" she asked slowly.

Kingsley shook his head, "No, not yet."

"Kingsley, he should be notified immediately!" Hermione couldn't believe what she had just heard.

"Yes Miss Granger, I know. I'm just trying to determine what would be the best way to go about the situation. I had considered having you tell him." His voice was thoughtful, but not sure.

Hermione sighed, "You know he's getting married, right?"

Kingsley's eyes bulged, "I was not aware. Have you met her yet?"

"No," she responded, shaking her head. "We're to have lunch today at noon."

"I see. I'll send an owl to Harry immediately to ask him to meet. Of course he should know," he said, seemingly berating himself.

Hermione was still rather confused, "Kingsley- why did you tell me before you told Harry?"

Standing up, Kingsley began to pace in his office. Hermione turned to face him in her chair.

"These Death Eaters… They're different. They don't use the killing curse_."_

"They're not using the killing curse? Then how?"

Kingsley threw up his hands and exasperatedly said, "We don't know! We can't figure it out!"

"You don't know?" she retorted. "How is that possible?"

"There's no evidence, no magical trace, no wounds… nothing." He explained, then added, "We're not even sure if it's truly the Death Eaters doing it."

Hermione blanched, "You're not sure? But then… how can you make the assumption that it is them?"

"Rumors, stories, witnesses. They all say the same thing: witches and wizards in black capes and masks who terrorize muggles and muggle borns." By now, Kingsley had taken his seat at his desk once more. Leaning forward he added, "We need more information, Hermione."

"Okay," she responded, not fully comprehending what he was asking of her.

Slowly, he revealed his idea. "The only way to gain that information is to put someone there- in the midst of it all. We need someone to go undercover." He motioned to the folders on his desk, "I've been through a thousand different applicants and I keep coming back to the same person. Someone who's been there. Someone who knows how to act like a Death Eater- what their secrets are…"

Hermione's heart was pounding, "Surely you don't mean…" motioning to herself.

Kingsley chuckled, "Not exactly." He pulled out a particular folder. "You were once quite friendly with this man." He set the folder in front of her.

Timidly, Hermione's fingers opened it to reveal a picture. She knew in her heart of hearts who it was going to be before she even saw the picture. When his silver eyes and blonde hair stared back at her, it only drove the nail in further.

"No," Hermione said firmly, placing the folder back on the desk. "I will not ask him to put himself in such danger! The Death Eaters hate him!"

"Yes, the Death Eaters do hate him. And it would be quite dangerous. Which is why you'll act as a team." Kingsley's response was so easy, she could hardly believe he'd said it.

"A- a team?" She stuttered.

"Yes. You will be given a charm that will change your appearance. Mr. Malfoy will teach you everything you need to know about the world of Death Eaters. _You_ will be going undercover. Mr. Malfoy will be there to protect and watch over you."

At this, Hermione began to laugh hysterically. "This is a joke right? A charm that changes my appearance? Malfoy and I working as a team?" She stopped laughing though when she saw Kingsley's stern face.

"I'm quite serious Miss Granger. All the details you need are in this folder." He slid the manila folder in front of her. "Mr. Malfoy is already on board for the assignment. I just needed to be sure you were as well."

Hermione opened the folder and read a few details. Her eyes met Kingsley's, and he pressed her for an answer. Her mouth hung open momentarily, no words escaping. Finally, "Yes, yes of course, Minister."

"Good, I knew I could trust you." He added a smile and escorted her from the office. "You have until Monday to prepare for your trip. Good day."

"Uh, um, yes. Thank you sir." He began to release the various spells on the door and room, and with a click, the door popped open. He ushered her out.

Leaning in, he whispered, "Do not speak of this outside the Ministry walls. It's not safe."

Hermione gave him a quick nod and began her journey back to her office. She put the folder on top of the others she had and clicked her floor button. With a jerk, they were off. When she reached her office, she told her assistant Susan to not allow visitors, and that she'd be leaving at lunch time.

Once behind her door, she performed various locking spells and sat at her desk, opening the file. Her assignment was at the top, along with her new name, credentials, and information. Her and Malfoy would leave on Monday for Sibiu, Romania, located at the base of the Cindrel Mountains. Maybe she could pop in and see Charlie. She was assigned to pick up her charmed object from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement on Friday morning. Apparently this charm would change everything from her voice to her appearance- even height, so that she wouldn't be recognizable as Hermione Granger anymore. Instead, she would be Ravena Selezeanu, pure blood witch and descendants of the pureblood Selezeanu Romanian clan. Hermione was actually eager to know what she would look like as Ravena Selezeanu, but contained her excitement as she continued to read.

Ravena Selezeanu attended Durmstang, was proficient in the dark arts, and joined the Death Eaters after graduating. Since the fall of the Dark Lord, she'd taken refuge in Russia, living there ever since.

Honestly, Hermione thought the assignment would be rather easy. With her former knowledge of Durmstang and expansive education in the Dark Arts through her career, she felt that becoming Ravena Selezeanu would be all too easy. When she finished reading through the file, she pushed it back from her eye sight and began to rub her temples. At that moment, her stomach began to grumble.

"Oh, surely I'm not hungry already!" she murmured to herself. Glancing at the clock, she gasped. It was already a quarter 'til noon. She'd have to hurry to lunch to meet Harry and his fiancée.

She placed the file in her desk, and locked the drawer. Hermione dressed quickly for the cold weather in her scarf, hat, mittens and cloak and dashed out the door.

"I'll be back after lunch!" she exclaimed to her assistant, Susan.

Reaching the lift, she punched the button for the first floor and again, it jerked to life. Exiting the lift, she was attacked by the usual noon time hustle and bustle- witches and wizards coming and going to lunch, memos buzzing around in the air, various visitors mindlessly weaving their way to their destination. Hermione bursted out the front door and with a _pop_, apparated to the Leaky Cauldron.

She entered the busy establishment, the door banging against the wall when she opened it. Searching, she found her childhood friend and made her way to their table. Harry seemed to be in deep conversation with a particularly beautiful girl. She had raven black hair and emerald green eyes. Her lips were full and pink and her complexion was like porcelain. On her ring finger, a diamond glittered.

"Hello." Hermione said, approaching the table.

"'Mione!" Harry exclaimed, jumping up from the table and pulling her into a bear hug. "Merlin, I've missed you!"

Laughing, she hugged him tightly and gave him a peck on his cheek. "Well, aren't you going to introduce me?" Hermione asked playfully.

Harry looked at her and then, as if remembered his fiancee exclaimed, "Yes of course!"

The woman stood up beside Harry and extended her hand, "Ello, I em Sonya."

Her accent was thick, definitely from a Northern country. Hermione took her hand and gave it a quick pump, "Hello, Sonya. It's very nice to meet you."

"And yew. 'Arry's told me sew much about yew." She replied.

"None of its true." Hermione smiled and Harry chuckled.

Sonya looked between them, confusion furrowed in her brow. "I'm sorree?"

"Don't worry, it's nothing." Hermione said. She shrugged off her cloak and scarf.

They all sat down and Hermione picked up the menu to browse through the specials. She decided on sausages and mash and called the waiter over, giving him her order. With her full attention, she turned to Harry and Sonya.

She gave them both a warm smile, "So, where did you two meet?"

"Well, I was tracking a suspect through Bulgaria and popped into a local pub to grab a bite when I ran into Sonya. We got to talking and before we knew it, it was midnight and the place was closing for the night." Harry recalled, whilst staring into Sonya's eyes quite adoringly.

"'Arry soo-ggested we gew for a night time stroll. I, of course, thought 'e was crazy!" Sonya admitted laughingly. "But 'e assured me that I vould be plenty safe enough with 'im."

Harry laughed and animatedly responded, "Yeah and almost as soon as I said that, some crazy guy popped out from behind a bush and attacked me! Before I even had a chance to grab my wand, Sonya had already disarmed him." At that point, the couple was staring into each other's eyes, as though Hermione didn't even exist.

Harry added softly, "I knew then that she was the one."

Hermione gave him a weak smile, "And when was this?"

"Almost a month ago," Harry answered, not looking at Hermione, but focused entirely on Sonya. His hand cupped her cheek and his thumb brushed along her bottom lip.

Hermione blushed, feeling like an intruder. Thankfully, the food arrived at that moment.

The waiter laid out the food, and Harry and Sonya began to dig in. Hermione picked at her food, suddenly losing her appetite. _One month? They've known each other a month and he's that in love? _She asked herself, apprehensive of the couple's feelings. Something inside her was telling her that it wasn't right… that something didn't make sense. Hermione had to figure it out.

"So Sonya, where are you from?" Hermione asked politely.

Sonya dabbed the corner of her mouth and swallowed before speaking, "I em frum Vatra Dornei, a border town en Romania."

"Were you just traveling through Bulgaria then, when you ran into Harry?" Hermione asked quickly.

She shook her head, "No, my grandmuther whom lived en Leski passed away. I vus attending her funeral."

"Oh, I'm so sorry for your loss," Hermione said. "Were you close?"

"She practically raised me ven my parents vere taken," Sonya admitted softly.

Not wanting to press the woman with more personal questions, Hermione just nodded her head and went back to picking at her food. Harry was now consoling Sonya, whispering in her ear. Sonya's solemn face lit up with his words and Hermione immediately regretted her decision to interrogate the woman. Hermione trusted Harry implicitly- so why should this decision be any different?

After finishing their meal, which spent mostly in silence apart from the adoring whispers between Harry and Sonya, the three of them decided on tea and began to converse again.

"So Hermione, how are things at home?" Harry asked innocently.

Hermione sighed, "They're fine Harry." Hermione knew that he was actually asking about her and Draco. "Have you spoke to Ron lately?" She asked, retaliating.

Harry cocked an eyebrow and gave her a crooked smile, "I have. He's in the States now, still playing that silly game of his."

After the war, Ron had separated from the Golden Trio. He was hit the hardest, losing his brothers in the war. His relationship with Hermione, although strong as a friendship, wasn't quite strong enough for them as a couple. Although he loved her dearly, he could not accept what had happened. And he even blamed Harry partially. Harry and Ron went at it one night after several fire whiskeys and the two had never fully reconciled. They were now at least on speaking terms- although they would never be as close as they were in school. Ron traveled a good bit and instead of following his dream of Quidditch, he decided to something much more muggle-like and took up baseball. His fascination with the sport led him to where he was now- the United States. Currently playing for the Houston Astros, he had completely acclimated to his life in the States and was finally moving on with his life.

"Good, we haven't spoken a lot this year. Suppose he likes Houston, eh?" Hermione asked.

Harry laughed, "Seems too. Even enjoys the never ending heat."

Hermione shook her head, "He was always a few sandwiches short of a picnic."

"And vat of thees Draco?" Sonya asked, inserting herself in the conversation.

Hermione gave Harry a dirty look before answering. "Draco is around. You might meet him one day."

Harry stared at her, "what do you mean he's around?"

"I mean he's here in London, I saw him yesterday." Hermione didn't think it was worth agitating Harry by telling him that Draco had spent the night in her flat.

"Have you spoken with Ginny lately?" Harry asked, seemingly nonchalant in changing the subject. Although it seemed that Ginny and Harry were destined for each other, Harry's constant need for danger never fully worked with Ginny's idea of "growing up". The two separated shortly after she graduated from Hogwarts.

Hermione grinned, "I have. She's doing quite lovely. I'm meeting her on Friday." At this comment, she looked down at her watch. "Oh dear! It's so late! I really must be going."

She paid for her dinner and quickly bid the couple good bye. She made Harry promise to owl her soon, which he did.

Within moments, she was back at her office, sitting at her desk. Not wanting to think about Harry's fiancée and the shifty feeling Hermione got from her, she threw herself into her work. Knowing that she'd be out of town on assignment for an extended amount of time, she prepared her research and files in chronological order for her assistant to type up and give to the Minister. She also set up some work for Susan to accomplish while she was gone, as well as her junior associates.

By the time she looked up at the clock, she was stunned to see it was six thirty. Hermione sat forward, placing her fingers at her temples and rubbing in relaxing circles. Her mind was swimming with all the tasks she had to accomplish before she left for Romania. However, she knew that no matter how much preparation she did at work, nothing would prepare her for what was sure to happen with Draco.

Her mind drifted to Draco and how the morning had seemed so easy, comforting even. She thought about how his presence still made her heartbeat quicken and how she still felt every need inside her to help him. She also thought about how great he looked sitting on her counter- half naked. With a wry smile, she shook her head of the thoughts and packed up her bag to go home. On her way out, she placed her files on Susan's desk and made her way home. With so much on her mind, she decided to walk, as she wanted time to think. She thought of her new assignment, working with Draco, Sonya and Harry, Ron, Death Eaters, and Voldemort…

She thought about every possible thing she could think of and was so lost in her thoughts, that she hadn't realized that she was being followed.

**A/N: Gee, was _that_ worth a review or not? **

**Thanks so much to _Endlesslywaiting_ for beta-ing as usual :)**


	4. Dangerous Love

**Chapter Four- Dangerous Love**

Draco was pacing restlessly in his flat. On his coffee table sat a folder labeled: _CONFIDENTIAL_. Inside were the details of his mission, a mission that he deemed way too dangerous for Hermione. A mission in which he had begged the Minister to find someone else to accompany him.

Unfortunately, the Minister felt that Hermione was the only one who could pull off the mission. And though it killed him to admit, Draco knew he was right - Hermione was beyond perfect for the job. She had extensive knowledge of dark artifacts, she had firsthand experience with the Death Eaters, and she had him as a partner. The plan was pretty fool-proof. As long as they didn't let their emotions get the best of them.

Suddenly concerned, he grabbed his cloak, pocketed his wand and left his flat in a blur. He hurriedly made his way towards the Ministry of Magic, eliciting a curse when he realized the time. He made a quick turn away from the Ministry, knowing full well she would had left work already. Draco pulled his cloak around his neck and shivered in the cold, before quickly moving in the direction of Hermione's flat. Growling to himself in frustration, he knew it would have been quicker to apparate, but he continued to trudge on his way.

Something from deep within him urged him to move faster… told him that his witch was in danger. Breaking into an all out run, Draco pulled his wand from his pocket and within minutes, he was rounding the corner to her flat.

Hermione was just about to open the front door to enter her her flat, when she felt something attack her wards. She whipped around, her wand at the ready.

"Who's there?" She whispered in the dark.

A dark voice responded, "Filthy little mudblood."

She gasped, remembering all the times she'd heard those hurtful words come from Draco's mouth. Hermione was just about to take a step outside the wards when she heard someone else run up.

"Don't move Hermione!" Draco shouted. "You're safe within your wards."

He came out from the shadows, dressed in all black, with a green scarf wrapped around his neck. _Ever the Slytherin,_ Hermione thought. His wand was also at the ready, although she was certain he had no clue who he was looking for.

At that moment, a red light shot out from the darkness and entered Draco's body.

"No!" Hermione screamed, "Whoever you are, don't hurt him, he's done nothing!"

"Insolent fool! _He_ means _everything!" _The voice exclaimed, shooting another red light straight at Draco.

He somehow managed to duck in time and the light barely missed him. Hermione started towards him, but he shook his head as agony flashed across his face.

"Get inside the house, Hermione!" Draco's voice, albeit weakened from the attack, still had some force behind it.

Her body and mind set, she shook her head fervently. "I'm not letting you martyr yourself!" Her wand at the ready, she dashed across the street to him. She deflected a spell, causing it to hit the brick wall beside them. Quickly, they ran to her flat, with Hermione sending curses behind her with no exact target. Opening her flat door, she pushed Draco inside and turned around to face her unknown attacker.

"I know you're still there!" She screamed, her eyes searching for something, anything that would give her attacker away. "Show yourself!"

There was a hiss and the voice tainted the air once more, "You'll demand nothing of me mudblood!" A jet stream of red magic soared through the air, somehow penetrating her wards, smashing into the wall beside her door. "Next time," the voice warned darkly, "it will be your pretty little mudblood!"

One last bolt of magic came soaring towards her and Hermione screamed, ducking her head just in time. The wreath that hung on the door exploded into flames and the ash powdered Hermione's bushy hair.

The air that was once thick with magic, thinned and everything stilled. All was quiet. Hermione stood and dusted the ash from her head. She took a deep breath and once satisfied that her attacker had disappeared, she began casting various spells to repair her wards. Once she deemed it safe enough, she went inside. With one last look over her shoulder before shutting the door, she scanned the area in front of her home, she found it unsurprisingly empty, and she was happy she would not have to obliviate anybody's minds.

She heard a groan from inside and remembered all too quickly that Draco was lying in her foyer, with potentially, a very nasty wound. Rushing to his side Draco was hunched over, clutching his sides. Pain etched his beautiful face and his shirt and cloak were tattered and torn from the spell.

Hermione growled out, "What in the bloody hell were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that I would be saving you," he snarled. "St. Mungos. Need healers." He gasped out.

Shaking her head, Hermione quickly ripped open what was left of his shirt. Blood stained his pale skin and there was a very nasty gash from his left pectoral to his right hip bone. Though worried she knew she had seen this before and knew how to treat his wound.

Taking her wand out, she quickly spoke the counter spell, "_Vulnera sanetur."_ She watched as the blood flow began to slow. "_Vulnera sanetur." _She repeated, and the wound began to knit itself back together. "_Vulnera sanetur!"_ And with the last incantation, the wound began to disappear. She knew that there'd be a terrible scar left behind if she didn't find any dittany.

"_Accio dittany!"_ Her voice trembled as she spoke. A bottle came flying out of nowhere and she quickly poured it on the scar.

Draco squirmed from the pain and screamed out, "Jesus Christ Granger! Are you trying to bloody kill me?"

She stared him hard, her eyes piercing through his. "Oh yes, that's _exactly_ what I'm trying to do! Especially with a damned potion that is known to HEAL!" Her voice rang through the flat and Draco had the presence of mind to shut up.

"We need to get you on the couch," Hermione said matter-of-factly. She cast a levitation charm and Draco's body rose and began moving towards the couch. Ending the spell, he landed gently on the ever-so-fluffy couch. Hermione sat on the floor in front of him and she stared hard at his chest. "You could have died."

He groaned, "Really Granger? You think so?" He swung his arm to hide his face, not wanting her to see the pain he was in with his insides still mending. Despite this he noticed how uncomfortable she looked and he also noticed she was shaking. "I'm sorry." he murmured.

Hermione diverted her eyes to the floor. "You seem to be saying that a lot."

Draco blanched, knowing she was hurting inside, just as much as he was. He stretched his hand out to caress her face, but she moved away.

"I should let Kingsley know." Standing once more, Hermione moved to the fireplace and contacted Kingsley via floo.

Kingsley's face suddenly appeared in the ashes and he coughed, "This had better be an emergency, Miss Granger."

"I'm so sorry to bother you so late Minister, but I'm afraid I was attacked outside my home this evening." Her voice was steady and calm. Draco knew that this was all a front.

Immediately Kingsley's attitude changed. "Are you okay? Was anyone hurt? Did anyone see the attacker?"

"I'm fine, just a little stunned. Draco however, was not so lucky. He was hit with a sectumsempra, but I patched him up." Hermione's voice shook a bit at this, but she quickly regained composure. "I'm afraid nobody saw the attacker."

Kingsley sighed. "That is unfortunate." He saw Hermione shift on her feet and guessed that she might still be a little anxious, "I can send an auror over, if it pleases you?"

Hermione shook her head, "I'll be fine, thank you." She paused for a beat, looked back at Draco and then back at Kingsley. "I need to eat something and should probably get some sleep. I'll brief you in the morning."

Kingsley nodded and said his goodbyes. Draco watched as his witch slumped to the floor and began to sob. He'd have given anything to be able to walk over to her and hold her, however in his present condition, he didn't think he'd be able to. Instead, he spoke.

"Granger, come here." Draco's voice was gruffer than he'd wanted, but it seemed to work, as Hermione picked herself up and shuffled over to the couch. Draco pulled her down into his arms carefully, trying to prevent her from touching a sore area, and held her as she sobbed.

He stroked her hair and whispered over and over again, "It's going to be alright. I've got you."

Hermione's small body was shaking in his arms. She was going over the situation again and again in her mind, the fact that she could have almost lost Draco was on repeat, pounding inside her skull. She couldn't believe that he had stuck his neck out for her so _stupidly, _so… heroically.

"What were you thinking?" She mumbled.

Draco's hand stilled and his breath caught, "What do you mean?"

"Why were you there?" Hermione stated more firmly.

"You don't ... ?" he asked incredulously. "You don't think that I'm a part of this do you?"

Her eyes searched his, but she already knew the answer. "No, of course not."

Draco breathed a sigh of relief. "If you must know, I came because I decided that there was no way you were going to do the assignment. It's just too dangerous." Hermione opened her mouth to argue, but he shushed her. "I know, _mia_. You are perfectly capable of taking care of yourself." His hand cupped her face and his fingers stroked her jaw bone.

_Mia_, Hermione thought. He hadn't called her that since … well, it had definitely been a long time.

"Draco, I…" She started, automatically turning her body into his, she placed her hand gently on his chest to support herself and her eyes found his and she was startled by the passion she saw.

"_Mia, tes yeux, j'en reve jour et nuit,"_ his voice was soft and his eyes searched hers. Surely she knew… She just had to understand. "_Je t'adore."_

Draco leant in, his thumb tracing her bottom lip and her breath fanned across his face. Pulling her ever closer, his lips finally touched hers and he kissed her like he'd never kissed her before. Like he'd never kissed anyone. He had expected her to fight it. Yet, he was pleasantly surprised to find her lips inviting and affectionate. He nipped at her bottom lip and sucked it lightly. She moaned in response and her hands cupped his face, pulling him even closer.

Draco grabbed her leg and hitched it over his hips, all pain forgotten. He wrapped his arm around her more tightly and continued to kiss her sweet, succulent lips. The happiness he gained just from holding her, let alone kissing her sent him over the moon. Draco smiled into his kiss, which caused Hermione to smile in return.

"I've missed you, _mia._ So very much." He whispered, pulling her against the length of his body.

Hermione's breath was ragged and her lips were swollen, "Draco…"

His finger came up and he hushed her again, "Hermione- I'm not asking for forgiveness right this second. I'm just asking for another chance."

Hermione's eyes widened and her heart quickened in pace. "I'm not sure …"

"Please, _mia. _I'm begging you," Draco responded.

And he truly was begging. Draco Malfoy was begging. Hermione knew that Draco begged for no one and nothing and she was floored, speechless. Literally.

Her response was nothing more than a small smile and a tiny nod of her head. A smile spread across Draco's lips and he laughed.

"You will not regret this, _mia._" Draco promised, sealing his promise with a kiss.

_I hope not, _Hermione thought to herself. _I truly hope not._ And with that last thought, she threw herself into the kiss and did everything she could to forget what had occurred that evening.

However, there was some niggling in the back of her brain telling her that this wasn't her first encounter with her attacker.

She'd heard that voice before.

**A/N: Awww, a kissy scene! Lemme know what ya think. Or there will be no update! .**

**Many thanks to my beta, _endlesslywaiting- _You are ballllaaaa.**

_**French: Mia, I dream of your eyes day and night. I adore you.**_


	5. Bad Memories

**A/N: Huge warning- this chapter contains well, bad memories. If the idea of rape bothers you, please don't read. I apologize if this offends anyone, but as the writer, I deemed it necessary. **

**I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my first and only reviewer: Disappointed- thanks again so much for reviewing. **

_**Chapter Five- Bad Memories**_

Hermione slept restlessly. She finally awoke when the sun had begun to peak in through her windows, and then she rolled over on the tiny couch to assess her "bedmate".

Draco was all but hogging the couch. He was laid flat on his back, an arm covering his forehead. His chest rose and fell gracefully as he breathed. His white-blonde hair was a muss, and his lips, still slightly swollen from her kisses, were parted.

Hermione smiled at the sight and she watched as Draco's pink tongue poked out to wet his lips.

"Stop staring at me, Granger," he croaked. He opened one eye while a small smile tugged at his lips.

Hermione, never one to admit to staring, laughed. "Looking for an ego boost this morning Malfoy?"

"Please. You've been staring at me for the better half of three minutes," he responded, his eyes still not fully open. He rolled over on his side, wincing a bit as he moved.

"How are you feeling this morning?" his beautiful witch asked.

Draco groaned, "I've been better". He wrapped his arms around Hermione and pulled her into his chest. He placed a small kiss on her temple and sighed, contentedly.

As much as Hermione wanted to snuggle into his warm arms, she needed to get ready for work and her briefing with Kingsley. She squirmed a bit in his arms and he sighed, this time out of annoyance.

"I know you want to get up, but I'm bloody comfortable, so relax woman." Draco commanded. "Just a moment more," he added sleepily.

Realizing there was nothing more she could do, Hermione did what any girl would have. She pulled the blanket up to their chins and closed her eyes, revelling in the coziness they had created. Draco's steady heartbeat acted as a lullaby and Hermione quickly fell back to sleep.

She awoke to the sound of clattering pans and the smell of burnt toast. Rolling over on the couch more easily than before, Hermione realized she was very much alone in her living room. Which meant that Draco was trying to make breakfast. Smiling to herself, she stood up and stepped into her kitchen.

Hermione could barely contain her laughter when she saw Malfoy in front of her. He was standing in front of the stove, pouring an incredibly lumpy batter on to what appeared to be an ungreased pan. The rather funny part was that there seemed to be loads more flour on Draco's chest than in the bowl. There was an egg cracked on the floor, and another busted on the counter. And sitting in the toaster were two very burnt and quite inedible cinnamon bagels. Hermione continued to stand in the doorway and watch Draco as he tried to flip the pancake mixture with what appeared to be a wooden spoon.

"You've ruined my kitchen," she said teasingly.

Draco jumped slightly before sighing, "I tried to make you breakfast." Turning to face her, Hermione couldn't help but break down in a fit of giggles.

Draco smiled back and walked towards her. "What are you laughing at, witch?"

"You've got a bit of flour just there, on your nose," she said, pointing at the tip of his nose. "Did you know?"

Before he could wipe it off, she stood up on her tiptoes and lightly blew the dust away, before promptly kissing his nose sweetly.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. "Thanks."

Just as he was going to dip down to kiss her lips, the smoke alarm started going off. Hermione very nearly jumped out of her skin. She then remembered the pancake blob that was in the skillet and rushed over to turn it off. Draco opened the kitchen windows and a burst of cold air swept through the room, snowflakes danced in the air briefly before melting in the heat.

Hermione assessed the situation solemnly. She grabbed her wand from the living room and gave a quick cleaning spell for the broken eggs. She then grabbed the burnt bagels and tossed them in the rubbish before dancing over to her cooker. Casting yet another cleaning spell, the pancake batter disappeared from the stove top and the counter, leaving her with a clean space to work on. Soon enough the smell of delicious pancakes and bacon saturated the air.

Draco wrapped his arms around her waist and watched in amazement as she added a little butter to the frying pan for the pancakes and let it melt.

"You should always use butter, Draco. It's so the pancakes don't stick to the pan," she told him matter-of-factly. "Then, you let the pan heat up a little bit longer and then slowly pour in the batter. Once it starts to bubble, that means it's time to flip the pancake."

Draco laughed in her ear. "You really are the brightest witch of our age."

"Its pancakes, Draco - not rocket science!" She teased. "Oh, and only flip the cakes once- otherwise they get tough."

She lifted the pan and gave it a flick of her wrist, causing the pancake to flip up and over into the skillet. She then forked the bacon and flipped it as well, being careful to not get burnt from the popping grease.

Draco let go of her and propped himself against the counter. She then freely moved to the cupboard where her plates were located and pulled out two. Finishing the pancakes, she flipped two on each plate and added a couple pieces of bacon. Handing one to Draco, she grabbed her syrup and butter and sat down at the table.

Draco slathered his pancakes with the syrup and hummed in pleasure as the pancakes seemed to melt in his mouth. "You should be a chef."

"You flatter me," Hermione laughed. "But we both know that I'm not that good of a cook!"

Draco laughed in response, remembering the many burnt dinners she had made. Breakfast seemed to be her only forte when it came to cooking.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Hermione asked, picking at her pancakes.

Absentmindedly rubbing his chest, he nodded his head, "Alright. How'd you know the counter spell?"

"After Harry mentioned the sectumsempra spell back in sixth year, I began doing my research, trying to put it all together. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything in the library," she explained. "I asked Professor Snape about it - did you know his portrait hangs in the Head Mistress's office?"

Draco shook his head, "Haven't been back there in a while. Too many bad memories."

Hermione gave him a weak smile and reached across the table, placing her hand on his. "You should go talk to him. It might be good for you," she encouraged.

"Yeah, maybe," he said, standing up and taking the plates to the sink. "We should probably get to the office."

Hermione sunk down in her chair, suddenly deflated. "Yeah, I s'pose."

"I'm going to get a shower." Draco gave her a kiss on her head and rushed off to the bathroom. She knew that Snape was a difficult issue to discuss with Draco. Snape was his Godfather and one of the only men he ever trusted. To say Draco didn't handle Snape's death well was an understatement.

Hermione finished up the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen before disappearing into her bedroom. She laid her outfit on the bed and pulled out a fresh set of towels. She heard the water turn off and knew Draco wouldn't be much longer- he never was. Despite what everybody thought about him and his narcissistic ways, he really didn't spend that much time on his looks, though if truth be told he didn't have to. He was naturally beautiful. When she heard the door open, she walked out into the hall, carrying some of his old clothes.

"Here," she said, handing him an old jumper, "You left this here and I just… never got rid of it." She grabbed the towels from her bed and closed the bathroom door behind her.

Draco stood there holding the old jumper. He couldn't believe she still had it. It was from the first night they spent together. They had gone for a walk and it had been a bit breezy, so he gave her his jumper. From that point on, it was as if she never took it off. She wore it until it was ragged - then she would do a quick spell so that it looked nearly new again and would wear it ragged once more. He lifted the jumper to his nose and inhaled deeply. It smelled just like her - strawberries and sunshine.

Shaking his head, Draco pulled the jumper on, casted a cleaning spell for his slacks and pulled those on as well. Soon enough they were both ready to leave and they apparated from outside the flat.

Kingsley was waiting for them at the Ministry, immediately assailing them with questions. The most pertinent was in regards to their mission.

"Do you feel you can continue?" he asked the duo.

Draco nodded his head and looked to Hermione who readily agreed. "More now than ever." she confirmed.

Kingsley gave them a terse nod. "Good." He moved from his position behind the desk and moved to stand in front of the couple. "What can you tell me about your attacker? Was it male or female?"

"I'm afraid we don't know that sir," Draco started.

Hermione quietly piped in, "Male."

Draco furrowed his brows and looked at her, "How can you be sure?"

"I think I know him," she answered, breaking eye contact and fidgeting with the hem of her jacket.

"How?" The minister asked.

Hermione shifted in her seat, "Erm, well, as you both know I was taken captive during the war." She took a deep breath and continued, "Well, during my captivity I heard things… saw people… and I remembered his voice."

"Did he do something to you Hermione?" Kingsley asked quietly.

Her bottom lip began to quiver and she shifted in her seat again, crossing and uncrossing her legs. She pulled her jacket tighter around her body and took a deep breath, "He raped me".

Draco visibly paled and felt the bile rise in his throat. Swallowing and clearing his throat, he sat up in his chair. He looked at the witch beside him, torn between complete and utter rage at her for not telling him, hatred for the piece of scum that could do that to her, despair that she had been through something so terrible and not telling anyone, and amazement for being so strong inside that she was still able to live a relatively normal life.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he whispered.

Closing her eyes, Hermione answered softly. "I was worried that you wouldn't want me. My blood was already dirty… After him, so was my body."

Instead of answering, Draco stood up and raced out of the room. Finding a bathroom, he selected a stall and vomited. Twice.

He walked up to the sink and ran some cold water, splashing it on his face and neck. He stared at his reflection, mentally berating himself for being weak when she was strong. He was disgusted with himself.

While Draco was in the bathroom, Hermione explained what had happened.

"Death Eaters came in and out of the dungeons, choosing women at random. Ron and Harry were in another cell, so they don't know this either," she said, eyeing the minister. Slowly, she continued, "He came in, wearing a black hood over his face so I couldn't see him. But I could hear him nonetheless.

"'_Filthy little mudblood', _he had said over and over again." She cringed at the memory. "He nearly beat me to death, but I was saved by none other than Bellatrix Lestrange. If only she knew," she said bitterly. "That was the night Lestrange tortured me for information."

"I never saw his face but I could describe his height and build." Hermione finished.

Kingsley exhaled loudly. "A description would work well. However, I'm afraid that seeing the memory may be better."

Hermione froze. "No sir, I'm afraid I won't relive that."

"And I wouldn't dream of making you." He patted her shoulder, "Hermione dear, you and I both know how important this memory could be to finding this man. I believe he is the one behind the new revolt. I need to see it."

"You know he's right, Granger," a voice stoically said from behind her. The door clicked as Draco slowly returned to his seat.

Slowly, and apprehensively, Hermione nodded her head. She knew it might be the only way, but she didn't have to like it. "Alright."

Kingsley revealed his pensieve and Hermione brought the tip of her wand to her temple. Slowly, she pulled the wand from her temple to the pensieve, carrying the memory with it. The silver wisp of a memory floated and dissipated into the bowl.

She quickly grabbed her gloves and scarf and turned to the men, "I'll be in my office if you need me."

Draco looked at the Minister and back at his witch, torn as to what he should do. Yes, of course he wanted to comfort Hermione. But he also wanted to see who this monster was. Because of his own connections within the Death Eaters, it was quite possible he knew the man. And that thought made him sick to his stomach. Draco gave Hermione a struggled smile and a nod before she left the room.

"Are you ready?" Kingsley asked the younger man.

Barely managing a nod, they both leaned into the pensieve and found themselves in Hermione's memory.

The floor was dirty and rats scampered about. Hermione was weak and frail, huddled in the corner. She was wearing muggle clothes, as her and the Golden Trio had been out looking for the Horcruxes. Casting a look around Draco saw that she was the only one in the dark, damp cell.

Her hands were magically tied behind her back and she was gagged. Dirt smudged her porcelain skin and there were rips and tears to her clothes. He could tell by her eyes that she knew that whatever happened to her wasn't going to be pleasant.

Moments later, the cell door swung open and a hooded figure walked in. He pointed his wand at her and whispered, "_Imperio!" _Immediately, the witch was at his command.

"I 'on't 'ave you fighting back, miss. No, no." He said wickedly. "Found a little control goes a long way down 'ere, I did." He grumbled. His voice was gravelly and he sounded more Scottish than English. Draco took a step closer to the man, in hopes of getting a better look, but alas - the memory could only show what Hermione herself saw.

He walked over to Hermione and yanked her up in a standing position. "You 'ill like this," he commanded.

Clearly this man had an ego problem.

The man roughly stripped her of jeans and ripped away her underwear. Draco wished more than anything that she would cry out, but she was commanded to enjoy it. His stomach tightened and he fought back another wave of nausea. Draco watched as the man probed Hermione with his finger first.

"You've got to be kiddin' me? You're a virgin?" He exclaimed. "I 'aven't 'ad me a virgin in ages."

Over the next ten minutes, Draco watched in horror as the criminal did foul and nasty things to Hermione. Kingsley had to hold him back as they both watched as the hooded figure slapped and beat her, whilst soiling her body and her mind.

"Filthy little mudblood," he'd said over and over again. "This is all you'll be good for, you piece of shit."

The entire memory was positively revolting and Draco couldn't wait for it to end. When the man seemed to be finished with her, he tossed her across the room and into the wall. Draco cringed when he heard a sickening crunch. The man walked over to her and slowly pulled back his hood.

"You'll always remember me, mudblood." He swiped his thumb over her bottom lip. Her eyes were glazed over and the room was spinning. She wished more than anything she could see his face. She wished more than anything she would be able to remember what he looked like.

There was a knock at the door and right before Hermione passed out, she heard a name.

"Mulciber_, _Bellatrix wants the girl upstairs. Now."

And everything faded to black.

**A/N: Wowsa, eh? Huge thanks to my beta, _Endlesslywaiting. _I hope all ya'll enjoyed it! Again- please review. **

**_Shameless pimping section_:**

**_RZZMG_ has loads of wonderful stories that are Draco/ Hermione pairings. She's writes absolutely beautifully and is quite an inspiration to me. Check out, "Eros & Pschye" as well as, "To Begin Again". **

**_Bex-Chan_ is another fantastic writer. "Isolation" is her current fic and it's got me hanging on by a thread- again, Draco and Hermione pairings. **

**I am always in need of a good, Draco/ Hermione fic to well, fix my insatiable appetite of the two. Any recommendations from my readers? **


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